No Issue Next Week -- We're taking the next issue of TidBITS off to recover from finalizing several major projects with some family vacation plans next week. We'll continue to post breaking news on our Web site and discussions in TidBITS Talk will keep humming along. Look for our next issue on 09-Oct-00. [ACE]

MRJ 2.2.3 Oracle Certified, Caches Java Archives -- Apple has released Macintosh Runtime for Java 2.2.3, the latest version of its Java virtual machine. MRJ 2.2.3 includes bug fixes and performance improvements, reduces memory usage for Java applications that run for long periods of time, and offers better support for applets with double-byte file names. When using Internet Explorer 5, MRJ 2.2.3 is Gold Certified for use with Oracle Applications 11i, and Bronze Certified when used with Oracle Developer 6i, which makes the Macintosh slightly less irrelevant in an Oracle-driven enterprise environment. MRJ 2.2.3 also intelligently caches Java archives (JAR files) which contain segments of code used by Java applications. MRJ 2.2.3 will keep up to 100 MB of Java archives on your local hard disk; when you re-launch the Java applications, MRJ will ask if the JAR files have been updated and only download newer versions; this could save time re-starting Java programs. MRJ 2.2.3 still supports only Sun's JDK 1.1.8 specification rather than the now-standard Java 2. MRJ 2.2.3 is a 4.7 MB download, and is also available via Mac OS 9's Software Update control panel. MRJ 2.2.3 requires a PowerPC-based system with at least 40 MB of RAM running Mac OS 8.1 or better. [GD]

PageSpinner 3.0 Enhances HTML Editor -- Optima System has released PageSpinner 3.0, beefing up the HTML editor with new features and better support for multiple markup languages. (See our review of PageSpinner 2.1 starting with "Spinning the Web, Part 1: Trade-offs and PageSpinner" in TidBITS-384.) The new version now recognizes HTML 4.0 and XHTML 1.0 tags, includes a built-in HTML checker, and improves support for Web pages created in graphical HTML editors. PageSpinner 3.0 also enables direct editing of files stored on FTP servers, and includes commands for working with server side includes. PageSpinner 3.0 is a free upgrade for registered users of version 2.0 and higher; otherwise, the program costs $30. The new version, a 1.9 MB download, can be used as a demo for 21 days. [JLC]

Apple Licenses 1-Click from Amazon.com -- Apple announced that it has licensed Amazon.com's controversial 1-Click ordering patent for use at the online Apple store. Apple is the first company not affiliated with Amazon.com to license the patent. After you sign up for 1-Click ordering, which stores personal billing and shipping information on Apple's servers, you can buy items without going through the typical multi-step ordering process. Although many online retailers offer a variation of 1-Click ordering, Amazon was granted a patent on its implementation in February 2000 (see "Amazon.com Awarded Affiliate Program Patent" in TidBITS-520). Other online merchants and industry figures, such as publisher Tim O'Reilly, have criticized the patent. Apple's license also includes the use of the 1-Click trademark, and is no doubt as much of a marketing opportunity as an improvement to its online ordering. [JLC]

Poll Results: Teneration X -- Apple has made it clear that the official pronunciation of the X in Mac OS X is "Ten," and not "Ex." But it's going to be interesting to see if Apple backs down on that over time, since a full 53 percent of the 1,300 respondents to last week's poll claim they most commonly say "Mac OS Ex" when talking about Apple's forthcoming operating system. Apple will face an uphill battle in insisting on proper pronunciation, but at least the confusion inspired Shannon Spires to post an "X on X" spoof of the famous Abbott and Costello "Who's on First?" sketch to TidBITS Talk. [ACE]

Poll Preview: One Address for Life? This week marked the launch of XNS, a potentially compelling Internet technology coupled with independent non-profit governance. We're devoting the rest of the issue to explaining what benefits XNS provides and how it works, so after you read through the full description, tell us in this week's poll if you think XNS will succeed. [ACE]